The second half of Parliament’s Budget Session, which came to a close on Friday, was not an ordinary session. It was a declaration of war with a firm eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
No business could be transacted over the past four weeks as political parties disrupted proceedings to press their demands and highlight state-specific issues. The Telugu Desam Party, which parted company with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance last month, angrily demand special category status for Andhra Pradesh and even moved a non-confidence motion against the government.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam forced periodic adjournments to seek the constitution of a Cauvery water management board that will decide how Tamil Nadu and Karnataka share the river water. The other Opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, started off by seeking a debate on the Nirav Modi-Punjab National Bank fraud case but subsequently joined the Telugu Desam Party in moving a no-confidence motion against the Modi government. The no-confidence motions were not taken up on the plea that there was no order in the Lok Sabha. The finance Bill had to be passed in the din.
The last day of the session witnessed an unusual sight – Opposition MPs and BJP MPs, including ministers, staged simultaneous dharnas near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Parliament House complex with both sides waving placards and shouting slogans in a show of one-upmanship. While the Opposition highlighted issues such as the farm crisis, unemployment and atrocities against Dalits, the BJP accused the Congress of disrupting proceedings. For the past several days now, BJP leaders, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, have sought to blame the Congress, especially its president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, for not allowing Parliament to function.
“The session sent out an unmistakable message that everyone is gearing up for the great electoral battle next year,” said Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien.
Poll position
According to a senior Opposition leader, all the political parties, including the BJP, used the session to position themselves for the 2019 elections. That the parties have started making preliminary moves with an eye on the election was evident from the timely Delhi visits of Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Andhra Pradesh counterpart and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who made it a point to meet other Opposition leaders to explore the possibility of a federal front.
If the Opposition put the government in the dock for its alleged deficiencies and non-performance, the BJP tried to turn the tables on its political rivals by accusing them of disrupting Parliament. “I think we have managed to convince the people that the Opposition was to blame for the logjam,” said Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel. The party’s MPs have been asked to observe a nation-wide fast on April 12 to highlight what it has called the Congress’ negative role in Parliament.
Right on cue, Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot issued a circular on Friday, stating that Rahul Gandhi has directed party workers to observe a fast on April 9 to “promote peace and harmony among different sections of society.” Pointing to the death of several Dalits in violence during Monday’s Bharat Bandh – which was in response to a Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act – the Congress said BJP-ruled states had failed to curb the violence and that it has become even more important for the Congress to lead the nation to restore the country’s social fabric.
This narrative is bound to pick up in the coming days as political parties hit the road, first for the Karnataka Assembly election on May 12 and then for year-end elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
There was also all-round agreement that forthcoming Parliament sessions would be even less productive as the confrontation between the BJP and its opponents was only going to intensify in the run-up to elections. There is a possibility of some legislative business being conducted in the Monsoon Session but by the time Parliament convenes for the Winter Session in November, all parties, including the ruling BJP, would be in election mode.
Jaitley’s absence
This session also highlighted the importance of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who did not attend Parliament for the past two weeks and worked from home because of a kidney ailment. His absence was keenly felt by both sides as Jaitley plays a key role in forging a consensus with the Opposition whenever they are locked in confrontation. This is because the minister has maintained friendly ties across the political spectrum. For instance, Jaitley has an old association with Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad as his wife comes from a prominent political family in Jammu. Similarly, he shares cordial relations with the Congress’ Anand Sharma as the two once shared a room on a visit to Russia as youth leaders.
Jaitley also makes it a point to fraternise with Opposition leaders when Parliament is in session. “With Jaitley out of action, there was no one from the BJP to hold back-channel discussions with us,” said a senior Opposition leader.
In fact, no attempt was made by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar to reach out to the Opposition. And while Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu held several meetings with floor leaders to break the logjam, no such effort was initiated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. It was for this reason that Congress leaders did not attend the customary tea party hosted by the Speaker on the last day of the session.